Get One Free
by spiketherat
Summary: Spoilers for all of Season 2 especially 2x12, set between 2x06 and 2x11. On a late night shift Oz and Toby stumble across the victim of an horrific crime.
1. Chapter 1

**Get One Free**

Summary: Spoilers for all of Season 2 especially 2x12, set between 2x06 and 2x11. On a late night shift Oz and Toby stumble on the victim of an horrific crime.  
>Warning : Mentions of rape and torture.<p>

Disclaimer: None of this is mine.

AN: Wasn't going to post this yet (actually wasn't planning on posting it at all because of the subject matter) but I keep fiddling with this instead of doing other stuff. It was either delete it or share. Un-beta'd (volunteers?) but complete, will be posted over the next week or so.

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><p>On nights it was the few hours before dawn that were the toughest, the calls tend to trail off or at least slow down. Unless you're lucky enough to get a serious shout the quiet and lack of adrenalin meant there was no fooling your body that you shouldn't really be tucked up in bed - preferably not alone.<p>

Unfortunately his partner was sprawled in the passenger side of the rig day dreaming about exactly that. Toby stretched, cracking the joints in his neck before casting an annoyed glare across at him. "Oz, telepath here."

His partner opened his eyes briefly and smirked back at him amused "You don't like it? Then don't listen in," and Toby realised - belatedly - that he'd partner had been doing it deliberately to get a rise from him.

"Thanks man, you know I'm going to have to bleach my brain before I get any sleep today." He tried to sound annoyed but knew he was failing because Oz was still grinning at him.

"I have to entertain myself somehow; especially if dispatch is going to give all our calls away."

There was a slight hint of an undertone in Oz's voice, but Toby had to agree. The last call - over half an hour ago - had been to a single vehicle RTA several blocks away. It had been passed to Murphy and Watanabe despite the fact that Toby and Oz were nearly as close and the senior crew. Normally something like that was at most a minor annoyance, but on a dead shift after a very long rotation on nights it was - frustrating.

Wrapping his arms around his chest Toby slouched deeper into the driver's seat and let his eyes drift shut for a moment or two.

"You got another headache?" Oz's voice interrupted before he could get close to comfortable.

"No, just tired." He muttered.

_Yeah right_. Oz's thoughts broke through his half hearted block and Toby glared at him for a moment. Although it was true that he'd had more than his share of headaches recently his telepathy felt more... more comfortable than ever. It was becoming like second nature or a genuine sixth sense and he felt like he was a lifetime away from the pain and stress of his childhood. Turning his head away from Oz he chose not to respond, he had no intention of discussing every little aspect of his ability with his partner.

He let his eyes drift shut a second time and immediately opened them again jerking upright as the image of an eagle, its wings crushed and twisted by chains, crashed through his mind. Annoyed Toby turned to glare at his partner, but Oz was also alert and leaning forward eyes fixed on a spot out of the windshield. "Whoa man. You see that?"

Toby turned to look and did a double take "What the hell?"

As Oz leaned even further forward in his seat, confirming it wasn't some fevered night shift hallucination, Toby picked up the radio and called it in. "Dispatch this is University 21 we have a... err... a semi naked man running across the street near our location, maybe injured, we're going to take a look."

He acknowledged the demand to give more information and wait for police backup with a grunt, before ignoring it and jumping out the rig behind his partner.

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><p>The man had stopped running and was half walking, half limping towards the sidewalk, and Toby joined his partner a safe distance away as Oz tried to talk him down.<p>

"Hey man. Where are you going? You look like you need help and you know what it's your lucky night, my partner and I are paramedics. Maybe you should stop a minute and let us check you out." As Oz spoke using his casual non-threatening tone that seemed to have an effect on most people, Toby took proper look at the man. He was naked apart from some ill fitting cut-off jeans that hung low on his hips. His bare feet were bleeding and even in the orange glow of the nearest street lights Toby could see that nearly every inch of exposed skin was covered in bruising or raw looking wounds.

Oz was moving closer now hands raised, looking as relaxed as possible, but the man was jumpy and Toby could sense the wildness in his thoughts - the eagle hissing and twisting in the chains that held it ready to fight back. "Oz..." He warned quietly and was about to explain when the man jerked, limbs convulsing, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped like a stone.

His partner just managed to get to him before the man's head cracked against the hard sidewalk. Kneeling next to them Toby started a thorough assessment and basic treatment - airway and Oxygen first.

"BP's 80 Systolic, and he's tachycardic." Oz's tone was tense as it broke through his concentration.

Toby nodded, tugging the man's arm straight a 14 gauge already in hand. "He's got to be bleeding internally?"

As Oz started to investigate Toby turned his attention to the veins in the exposed forearm. He'd just picked his spot and started to advance the needle when the muscles under his hand tensed and jerked accompanied by a long low groan and...

...and a sudden rush of thoughts and memory crashing through his skull.

Toby yanked back the needle pressing down on the puncture site as he swore, coming back to himself before he'd even realised what had happened. The line was messed up and the vein was blown.

"Toby?" Oz's tone was a mixture of warning and concern and Toby opened his mouth to respond but his partner cut him off already pulling out another catheter and exposing the victims other arm. "I've got this, get the stretcher."

As he stood the world swam slightly and Toby realised he was breathing heavily. He took slow breaths on the short jog back to the ambulance and it was enough to help him regain his composure and dry the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

As quickly as her could he unloaded the stretcher and headed back to his partner, nudging past a few late night party goers that had gathered round. Oz was still bent over their patient working, and Toby knew he should have felt guilty letting himself get distracted like that, but the images from the flash were still clear in his head and he couldn't feel anything but numb.

"How are we doing?" He asked his partner as, stretcher in place, he dropped back to he's knees alongside his partner.

"Ready to roll." Oz dropped his voice and looked Toby in the eye. "He's bleeding from multiple wounds... And he's been ra..."

Toby held up a hand sharply aware of the small but growing group of onlookers around them. He didn't need Oz to tell him anyway, he knew because he'd seen it all in wonderful telepathic Technicolor. "I know Oz," he whispered as they quickly lifted their patient onto the stretcher and got him back to the rig, "I know exactly what happened to him."

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><p>They headed back with lights and sirens, Oz steering the rig through the streets with his usual tactless skill as Toby concentrated on cutting away the last of the injured mans clothing, cataloguing and dressing the various wounds. He recognised each one from the flash he'd had while on the street: the bite mark on his shoulder; the chunk of flesh that had been cut from his left flank; the trail of cigarette burns down the line of his spine. Toby dressed the worst of them quickly trying to ignore the fact that in his mind he could see - almost feel - each one happening.<p>

"We're two minutes out how we doing back there?" Oz shouted back glancing at Toby in the rear view mirror between gesticulating at various car drivers.

Toby glanced at the pale sweaty face of their patient and the numbers on the portable monitor. "We're doing okay." He replied grimacing, okay was relative.

Oz glanced back at him again, "You got a hit, back there?"

Toby sighed as he pulled away the last of the jeans and uncovered fresh burn marks across the top of the man's thighs. "Yeah, I got a hit."

"And you saw..." Oz trailed off, he as was all but staring at him in the rear-view mirror now and Toby wished he'd watch the traffic.

"Yeah."

Oz shook his head and finally focused back on the road. "Oh man that sucks."

"Yeah, it sucks" Toby whispered too quietly to be heard. In that brief moment he'd witnessed the rape and everything that had gone on before and after, and as Oz so eloquently put it, it sucked.

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><p>The glass of the observation window that looked on to the critical care beds was cool against his forehead and it helped sooth the dull ache in his head. Last night he'd started work pain free, care free, and in good spirits. One <em>hit, <em>one stupid lapse in concentration, had derailed the whole shift and Toby wanted nothing more than to scrub the night out of his mind and start again. He couldn't though, couldn't just forget it, not when someone had screamed their fear and pain in his mind like that.

"Hey,"

"Hey Liv." The light touch on his shoulder didn't make him jump but he couldn't remember when his brain had acknowledged her presence.

"I thought I might find you here. Have you finished your shift?"

He nodded murmuring a yes as he tilted his head and rested his cheek against her hand. She let him, and gently brushed his face once before turning to look at the pale figure on the bed through the glass. "How's he doing?" Toby asked.

"His name's Lee Thompson, and he's not good. Some of his injuries are infected and we're worried about peritonitis because of the damage caused by the assault." She paused and turned looking deep in his eyes. "Oz said you _saw_ what happened?"

Toby took a breath and stepped away from her. "Oz talks too much."

"So you saw..." She trailed off and he nodded unhappily. "God Toby, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I guess it depends on whether he wakes up or not." His ex gave him a long searching look and he added, "I'll talk to Sergeant McClusky."

Liv looked satisfied with his response and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "That sounds like a plan - after you've had some sleep."

As soon as she said the words his body betrayed him and he yawned widely putting pay any chance he had of denying his exhaustion. "I'm not sure I can sleep after that." He said with rare honesty as he gestured to the man on the bed.

She looked at him critically. "I can give you something for that, and the headache you're trying to hide from me, _if_ you let me give you a full check up."

Toby read her sincerity and wondered just how tried he looked for her to be making the offer. He was actually considering take her up on it when his phone bleeped and Olivia scowled at him as he checked his messages. It was the IIB and he shrugged at her apologetically, "Sorry I have to go, but if I still have it later I'm all yours."

"Get some sleep" He heard her call after him as he left.

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><p>End Part 1<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

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><p>Toby looked out across grounds of the opulent Oakville property with its manicured garden and long lake shore frontage. It was still early and the sun seemed to bounce across the water making the whole property glow. In spite of the recession it seemed the other half were living up just fine.<p>

Even with the view, it was the natural quiet more than anything else that appealed to Toby. Somewhere behind him, at the edge of his focus he could still _hear_ Sergeant McCluskey and Nicholas Cadotte exchanging false pleasantries as the IIB officer finished off her interview. Apart from that there was nothing except the sights, sounds and smells from his regular senses and he enjoyed the peace and quiet while he waited for her.

"So?"

Toby glanced briefly over his shoulder at McCluskey as she approached. "Nice view. But a little out my price range."

"Not that." She berated amused. "I mean Cadotte."

He raised an eyebrow as she gestured for him to walk back to the car with her. "You really need me to tell you he's lying?"

McCluskey shot him a look that was mixture of amusement and frustration. "No. I know the guy is a lying piece of... work, I need you to tell me what the truth is."

"I doubt that," he said smiling, "I bet he wouldn't hold out too long if you dragged him in and pushed him hard," and Toby knew from experience that she could push very hard. Although it sounded stupid he was beginning to think he could recognize just from the _feel_ of their minds which people would fight her kind of questioning and which would fold like a cheap suit. In his opinion Cadotte was one of the latter.

McCluskey frowned and shot him a wry smile, "Probably, but unfortunately at this stage I can't push him hard without his lawyers and some big hitters at City hall getting involved."

She ducked in the car and Toby peered in through the passenger side grinning at her. "The benefits of being rich and famous, eh?"

Michelle nodded and grinned back at him, "You on the other hand aren't rich or famous so get in and talk or I'll break out the torture gear."

He froze instantly as her words stirred up the memory of the events of his last shift. The memory of the read; flashes of sharp metal, and blood, and the smell of burnt flesh ran through his mind. He swallowed hard to fight back the nausea as he settled himself into the car in silence.

"Are you alright?" Michelle had started the engine but she cut it again and stared at him intently.

His automatic response - from years of hiding what he was - was to say yes, but the images of the morning were too fresh in his mind. "No..." he replied darkly, then at the spike in her concerned, ducked his head and smiled at her softening his tone, "well _I'm _okay, but I think I might need your help."

There was a sense of relief from her as she started her car again and pulled out of the property past the huge wrought iron gates. "You know I'll help you any way you can."

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><p>Toby leaned back in his chair and shut the file in front of him. Thursday was in full swing now and the IIB office was crowed, and buzzing thanks in part to the intel he'd provided on the Nicholas Cadottes' little - well actually quite big if you went on the size of the IIB files - embezzlement scheme. He suddenly found himself trying to hold back a huge yawn.<p>

"That bad?" Michelle was at the door to the conference room a mug of coffee in each hand.

Toby tapped the file. "Embezzlement."

She grinned back at him, "Well I'm sorry my current workload isn't exciting enough, but I've got some extra time now thanks to your input, so I'm all yours, go ahead - thrill me."

Her words and joking tone made him balk, and he stood suddenly taking a moment to look at the view out the huge window as he tried to figure out how to explain what he'd seen.

"I'm sorry," McCluskey must have picked up on his tension because she was suddenly serious and concerned. "How can I help?"

Toby took a deep breath and paced back to the table, and finally sat back across from her leaning forward. "I'm not sure you can but there's no one else I can turn to."

The sarcastic _oh thanks_ went unspoken and she just nodded. "Go on."

"Early this morning we picked up a guy near Dundas and Jarvis. 32 year old male Lee Thompson, with extensive burns and other injuries and he'd been raped." He paused but McCluskey didn't seem shocked, just calmly attentive so he took a deep breath and ploughed on. "Err, it doesn't look good, he hasn't regained consciousness, but at the scene I..." Toby trailed off guiltily as he remembered Charlie's initial assessment of his abilities. He knew that by now, between the ED doctors and Metro police, every physical aspect of the man's ordeal would have been photographed, discussed and catalogued, but even in comparison to that what Toby had witnessed was a massive invasion of privacy.

"You got a read?"

Toby looked down at his hands avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, I didn't mean to it just...it happens that way sometime" He shrugged, there wasn't really anyway Michelle or anyone else could understand just what _getting a read_ actually meant so he trailed off letting it pass.

"Okay," Suddenly Michelle had that familiar business like cop tone in her voice. "I assume Metro are involved, have they talked to you yet?"

Toby shook his head. "No it was right near the end of our shift; Oz and I talked to the Uniforms but we'd have been gone by the time the Detectives turned up. If they want anything else from us they'll catch us when we're back on this evening, unless..."

"...unless the victim dies in the meantime." Michelle finished for him. "So what did you see?"

Toby brushed a hand across his face and let out a long sigh. That was a good question, what did he see? "I saw the rape," he answered plainly and looked at her straight in the eye "but there was more a lot more. Um..." He took another deep breath and inspected the fingers of his left hand which seemed to be shaking for some reason; of course he had been up seventeen hours. "...He was chained and he was tortured... for a long time."

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><p>It was lunch time by the time they'd finished, and Toby felt like he'd spent two hours one-on-one with a grizzly. He'd learnt when he was working with Charlie to provide as much detail as he could, so he hadn't tried to hold back, but talking about this sort of thing - rape, torture, human bites - didn't come easily. Easy didn't matter though, McCluskey was an accomplished interrogator and she kept him talking, and remembering details he wanted to forget, long after he thought he had nothing else to say.<p>

"Hey, how're you doing?"

Toby looked up from his third coffee of the morning as Michelle came back into the meeting room. "I'm fine, but," he made a play of looking at his watch, "do you need anything else because I'm due back on shift in a few hours?"

He could tell from the way she looked at him that she wasn't buying it, but she clearly didn't need him any more so she smiled softly and nodded at him to leave. "Go get some sleep, and thanks for your help with Cadotte."

He was nearly at the door before she stopped him. "Toby, these things," she waved the file with his - completely unofficial, never on record - statement at him, "these things happen. There are sick individuals out there doing horrific things to innocent people. I'd like to say I'm sorry you had to _see_ that but I'm not. Having you involved - whether it's embezzlement or rape and torture - you tip the balance in our favour, and trust me every cop in this city wants, and needs that edge."

Toby stopped for a second and nodded, her words giving him the moral boost she intended. "Thanks" he replied and then left to finally get some sleep.

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><p>End Part 2<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

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><p>The Thursday night shift was probably the best of the week's nights; in much the same way a punch in the face is better than a knee lower down. It was late enough in the week for people to be out and about, even well into Friday morning, but with a lot of people still in work the next day there were less of the drunken bullshit calls that that plagued the weekends. This one had the added bonus of being their last nightshift for few weeks. Something Toby was grateful for as he slouched in the passenger seat of the rig watching the club goers go past.<p>

"You've woken up." Oz was drumming the dashboard with his fingers, looking impatient.

Toby shot an annoyed glare at his partner's hands till the tapping stopped. "I wasn't asleep, and anyway the view's getting better," he muttered trying to force a smile. With spending half the day at the IIB he hadn't had anything like enough sleep and even though it was still before midnight he was struggling.

"Well it might be okay for you, but I'm not looking, I'm a taken man now." Oz laughed and then Toby had to laugh as well because even as he spoke Oz's eyes tracked a group of women as they crossed the street in front of the rig. "Okay, maybe I can still look." He said defensively.

"I didn't say a thing."

Oz gestured at his head, "You were thinking it." Toby opened his mouth to protest but his partner interrupted. "Yeah, you see I know what you're thinking man. All the time I know what you're thinking and I know you don't like it when I know that do you huh?"

He nearly didn't respond there wasn't much point when Oz got in this mood but at the last minute he raised an eyebrow struck by the sudden image of the passers-by in Oz's head "All of them?"

Oz waggled his eyebrows at him but didn't say a word and Toby nearly choked. "Can you stop doing that please?" Toby didn't know where his partner got his inspiration from, except maybe a very extensive internet porn collection, but he had quite an active imagination. "I'm going to request a new partner."

"No you're not, and I told you I know when you're looking." Oz drummed on the steering wheel again clearly pleased with himself.

"I'm going to speak to Ryder tomorrow, you can't stop me." Toby grumbled.

His partner just laughed and finished his attempt at a Keith Moon solo with a flurry. "What you going to say? My partner's harassing me with dirty thoughts? Anyway who else would put up with you: all that disappearing off to play cop; the little 'moments' you have, and that hair?"

"What wrong with my hair..." Toby started, but Oz interrupted him his tone turning serious.

"Speaking of those 'little moments' did you speak to McCluskey about this morning?"

Toby was silent a moment, set back slightly by the sudden change of topic and mood. "Yeah," he replied dryly.

"And?" Oz was casually watching the club goers again but he had the same tone as Liv that morning, one of helplessness and frustration. A shout like that - picking up someone with those kinds of injuries - it had to affect you, Toby guessed, even if you didn't have a free wireless connection straight into their nightmares.

"I don't know Oz." He said honestly, hyperaware of the intense scrutiny he was getting from his partner. "I told her everything I could and she's going to take a look at it."

Oz nodded and glanced quickly across at him. "That's good man because that shit was screwed up," and Toby couldn't help but silently agree.

They sat in silence for a bit and Toby debated bringing up the subject of those 'little moments.' Yesterday was the first time he'd lost it on a call for a long time and he didn't like it. The quiet extended for a several long minutes, the radio stayed dark and he turned back to his partner. "Oz about yesterday..." The second he opened his mouth Toby was interrupted by blinking LED's and the static hiss that came before a bleep from dispatch, and he rolled his eyes.

"University 21..." Oz shot him an apologetic look as he answered and Toby sighed, that conversation would have to wait.

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><p>As soon as they unloaded the 'suspected broken ankle' - further proof high heels and alcohol didn't mix well - they could tell it was going to be a long handover. It may have been a day early for the Friday night rush but the emergency department at St Luke's was crowded and the triage nurse that met them just muttered a quick "wait there a minute" before disappearing off to god knows where.<p>

They obeyed for about four and a half, maybe five minutes before tugging the gurney through the main doors into the department proper.

"Hey." Oz stopped dead and Toby ended up ramming him in the back with the gurney. "Speaking of foursomes..."

"Which we weren't," Toby said pointedly before his brain took a minute to catch up. At the central desk Dr Olivia Fawcett, Head Nurse Sandy Wardle and Sergeant Michelle McCluskey were huddled close together round a computer screen. "Oz!" he berated glad he'd made the decision to start blocking thoughts when they'd got to St Luke's.

"Hey I can think that, she's my girl. You can't because it would be un-cool for you to think of her that way." Oz was unrepentant and Toby was glad he hadn't seen whatever thought had crossed his partners mind.

"Err Liv?" Toby prompted.

"...is your ex and that makes her fair game, it's the rules." He turned to their young, slightly drunk patient, "isn't that the rules?"

She was nodding as they were noticed and Sandy - Head nurse Wardle - a woman not known for her patience came striding across to them "Boy's shouldn't you be waiting on a handover?"

Toby looked between the fiery nurse and Oz's rather apologetic expression, "You've got this haven't you partner?" He said patting Oz's shoulder as he turned go talk to Liv and McCluskey. He spun back at the last minute. "I'll tell Liv what you said about being... fair game." The last couple of words were mouthed silently but Oz - already wilting under Sandy's unimpressed stare - immediately started to freak and Toby didn't mind that his partner's slightly desperate thoughts were leaking through his barriers.

It took a moment for him to compose himself before turning back to the nurses' station. The other two women were still deep in concentration as he approached and he coughed slightly to get their attention, "What's going on?" Both heads jerked up at his voice their expressions intense and on instinct he read their thoughts. "He's dead."

Liv schooled her expression, "Two hours ago, I was just going over some of the medical details with the Sergeant."

He looked between them and instantly knew that Michelle had been asking for medical verification of the things he'd told her. It meant that Olivia knew in some detail at least part of what he'd _read_ the previous morning, and he realised he could feel it through the sympathy in her thoughts.

The realisation stopped him in his tracks; Liv had mixed feelings about the things he could do even though she'd asked him to help out on several occasions. If he could he'd do anything to stop her seeing his ability in a bad light. Toby pushed his worry aside concentrating on the issue at hand, "What have you found?"

Michelle hmm'd and glanced at him quickly. "Not sure yet." She looked back at Olivia and tapped the medical file on the desk in front of her, "Can I get a copy of this?" Liv nodded and handed the file off to a passing orderly.

"So?" Toby prompted again.

This time Michelle smiled at him but she was all business. "I need to check things but some of these injuries might be consistent with another case we have on file." She stopped him before he could start asking questions, "It's going to take some time before I can be sure. What's your schedule like over the next few days, in case I need you?"

His felt Liv's eyes on him and her concern, but he knew that for once he was off the hook. She would have treated Lee Thompson and his horrific injuries for several hours before his death; he could tell without _looking_ she wanted this guy caught as much as he did. Toby shrugged, he had plans with Oz in the afternoon but they could wait, "This is our last night on so I've got a few days off before we're rotated back onto earlys."

Michelle smiled briefly "Okay good; I night ring you tomorrow." She said curtly and left.

Toby turned to leave as well but Liv grabbed the back of his uniform. "Hang on buster." She waited till he stopped and turned. "How's the head?"

Not too bad was the obvious response, after all for as long as he could remember the headaches were just another part of the his weird life, but he knew Liv wouldn't be happy with that answer. She was a doctor, one that didn't seem to think headaches were normal, even for a telepath. He put on his most brilliant smile, looked her in the eyes and opened his mouth to say 'fine'.

_Don't you dare_. The thought was clearer than polished glass despite the fact that Liv rarely used his telepathy.

Toby nodded slightly at being caught out then leant back against the nurses' station. "I'm tired, and I have a headache. But..." he added as she tried to interrupt, "...I'm coming off several weeks of nights so it's not usual. I'm okay."

She had a hand on his arm and part of him wanted to lean into her touch and let her help. "Toby, please..."

"Hey partner!" Oz's shout from across the ED made them both jump. He was stood next to their gurney waving a clipboard of paperwork at him. "Are we going to finish this shift, or what?"

He shot Liv an apologetic look as he shrugged at her and then headed back out with his partner.

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><p>End Part 3<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

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><p>Toby arrived at the IIB earlier than he'd expected. Originally he'd planned to get a couple of hours sleep, for no other reason than to appease Olivia, but after half an hour of trying to shut out the images of Lee Thompson's violent rape, and another hour of pacing, he'd given up and - making the decision not to wait on Michelle's call - headed out on his bike.<p>

Despite the early hour the office was busier than he'd ever seen it, every desk was taken and the meeting room jammed with people and boxes. He had to wait - lingering by the elevator - to speak to Michelle.

When she finally came to see him she seemed flustered but bright and cheerful, very cheerful for some who'd still been up close to midnight the previous night. "Hey sorry about that." She greeted him smiling.

Toby glanced across the hectic room. "What's going on?"

"We raided Cadottes' home and his business partners' offices at dawn so expect to see that rather nice Oakville property on the market soon."

She grinned at him and Toby grinned back, her mood was infectious, "I'll talk to my bank but I'm not sure my salary will stretch quite that far. You've got him?"

She laughed and it was a wonderfully happy sound that made him realised just how much she liked her job. "Well there's a lot of paper work and we'll have to let the lawyers argue the details, but yeah we've got him and his uncle and his friends. Which..." she added gesturing for him to go into the observation room that sat between the interview suites, "...leaves me time to look into this other thing."

There was no one in either of the interview rooms but Corporal Dev Clark looked like he'd taken up permanent residence in observation room and, while there wasn't any of the clutter that plagued the main office, several open files took up the space on the small desk. "You've found something?" Toby asked giving Dev a nod.

Michelle gestured at the Corporal who tapped some keys and brought up several images on the screens around him. The series of burn marks on exposed thigh, wrist and shoulder, were familiar, but even though the screens weren't as clear as the huge plasma in the meeting room Toby could see a difference both in the details of the wounds and the pale skin behind them. "That's not Thompson."

"No, this is Amelia Chason. She was 17 when she left - or more accurately ran away - from her home in Clarington; September 23rd 2010." The photo of a young white brunette replaced one of the pictures on the laptop. "Her body was found in May just off a rural road east of Toronto. The autopsy said she died from..." Dev paused squinting at the report and Toby ducked down to read over his shoulder.

"Systemic septicaemia." At Dev's look he added "basically massive bacterial infection." Toby shifted and leant against a small corner of the desk, "You think the cases are related, but she's a ... she."

"If these were 'normal'" Michelle said the word with disapproval, "Sexual attacks then yes the difference in gender might be an issue but in this case..."

"It's not about the rape" Toby stated flatly, remembering the horrific images of violence he'd seen in Thompson's head.

"Both victims were tortured, in Chason's case maybe for weeks, if it is the torture that's the driving factor in these 'attacks' then gender will be much less of an issue. I'm not a profiler or an expert in sexual attacks, but we've sent the details of the two cases on to a profiler. If there is a connection between these two crimes then we maybe looking for a very sick individual."

Toby glanced between the two of them and the images of the marks on Amelia Chason's skin. "There's a connection, your profiler will confirm it."

Michelle rolled her eyes at him, "Well in the mean time Dev and I are going to talk to Thompson's house mate. Have you got time to tag along?"

* * *

><p>It turned out Thompson's house mate, Rod Davis, was also his lover. The tall, dark haired man greeted the three of them with suspicion. "I've already talked to you guys, I don't want to say anything else."<p>

It was only after McCluskey had spent some time explaining that they weren't with, and outranked, Metro Homicide that they were let in with a resigned wave of his arm.

"I'm sorry about the state of the place. I..." He trailed off but then raised his chin defensively. "I wasn't expecting to have so many visitors."

McCluskey once again apologised and led Davis aside signalling Dev to take a look around the house. Toby stayed close taking a slow walk round the front room. There were parts of it that felt familiar, perhaps from super fast flashes within flashes as a dying man thought of home. But he didn't get the same feeling of home from the boyfriend in fact the guy was uncomfortable and jumpy - and filled with nearly unbearable guilt. _It's my fault, I did this, my fault_, ran through his head like a scratched record, and Toby wondered for a minute if they were wrong and in reality the grieving boyfriend was responsible for his lovers' death.

"You two argued recently?" Toby asked abruptly, taking his lead from the thoughts he was reading.

Belatedly, as both pairs of eyes turned to face him, he realised he'd interrupted McCluskey's interview. Davis glared at her "I don't see what this has to do..."

"Just answer the question." She demanded but shot a questioning look at Toby who ignored it concentrating on the thoughts of the man in front of him.

"Yeah when he went out last week we'd had a disagreement." Eventually Davis replied, but by that point Toby didn't need hear answer; he'd already seen all he needed to know with the sudden shift of the man's thoughts:

_The two of them shouting and doors slamming; arguing over the contents of Thompson's laptop, and Davis watching his boyfriend flirt with anything that moved in a dark club._

"It was nothing..."

"You kicked him out, that's why you didn't expect him back; didn't report him missing." Toby stated abruptly interrupting the boyfriend's defensive rant.

In response Davis dropped to the sofa and buried his head in hands, and suddenly it was clear to Toby, the man wasn't a killer but when he'd kicked his lover out, and demanded he stay gone, he'd set into motion the of series of events that lead to Lee Thompson's running semi-naked through the streets of Toronto.

McCluskey sat across from the grieving man and began reassuring him that unlike Metro PD the IIB wasn't considering him a suspect. "I know it's difficult but I need you to tell us everything even things you might not think relevant."

Toby didn't bother listening to his response, he'd already read everything he needed to know and his head was starting to ache, he and Michelle could compare notes later. Instead he wandered out the reception room following the thread of familiarity that would match up with his read. He found it when he found Dev. For a minute the sight of the IIB computer wiz at the study table morphed into the memory of Thompson bent over his laptop in perfect concentration. He'd seen this room in both Davis and Thompson's mind.

"Hey Logan." Dev coughed slightly as though unsure how to break into his concentration.

Toby took a couple of breaths and smiled back aware that his ability occasionally seemed to freak out the other man. "Have you found it yet?" He asked.

"It..." Dev seemed momentarily confused and then it clicked, "Oh, yes you mean the..." His mouth worked for a bit but he didn't say anything just hit a few keys and sat back as a video flashed on screen.

At first glance the dark grainy scene could have been images of Thompson's torture, the same ones that were burned into Toby's mind, but on closer inspection the comparison didn't hold. The screams of pain were muted and punctuated with the odd groan of near pleasure, the action clearly and clinically filmed. "Sick huh?" said Dev glancing over his shoulder.

Toby agreed in principle, but compared to what actually happened to Thompson it was nothing. He didn't need to be a witness to the emotional under tone of the video to know the scene was staged, albeit cleverly so. "Fake." He said flatly and on Dev's curious look he added, "But Thompson went out looking for the real thing. It's why they" he jerked his head back towards the main room where Davis was, "argued - and why he died."

Dev was quiet for a bit, tapping away at the keyboard. "Well if he was looking for a more extreme thrill he'd have done what everyone else does these days," At Toby's blank look Dev grinned and brought up Thompson's internet history. "Googled it."

Toby frowned as Dev brought up a browser and started to check out the dead mans internet history. The memory of the image of the large eagle flashed through his mind. "While you're at it see if these anything about eagles on there."

* * *

><p>End Part 4<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

* * *

><p>He was late meeting up with Oz at the rink which, as they rarely did anything outside work these days, didn't go down too well.<p>

"You're late and grumpy and I hate skating so why did I agree to this again?" Oz complained doing a near perfect impression of Bambi as he spun out of control on his way across the ice.

Toby laughed and tapped the puck causally back and forth half tempted to take a shot right then. "You said we need to do more together. Anyway didn't you once say something about Turkey being the home of ice hockey?"

Oz had regained his balance and was looking a bit comfortable as he skated a small circle and kicked at the ice. "Hockey man; the home of hockey, and they played it with a goat head and a bunch of old guys on horses - more like polo really. Do you see any horses round here?" Oz shrugged and then ducked into position. "Bring it."

Toby skated forward with a casual ease. "You're only doing this because Sandy's on a shift tonight so you're stuck to having to spend time with your old friend ins..." He broke off as Oz surged forward with a sudden burst of speed and agility, and passing to one side took the puck away from him with ease. He finished by smashing it off the boards at the far end of the rink. "Hey! You've..." Toby broke of frowning, Oz was laughing at him physically and mentally.

"Sandy is a really good skater, Tonya Harding without the..." Oz feigned a psycho stabbing motion. "We've been..._practising_." he emphasized the last word with a wink and as he started to laugh so hard he needed to support himself against the wall. "You should see your face man." He grinned as he made his way steadily back to the goal.

Skating up the rink Toby retrieved the puck. He took a slow wide circle trying to relax, Oz had hidden the fact his skating had improved from him much too easily and it annoyed him. He'd spent all morning at the IIB and his head felt overloaded enough without his so called friend sending fake thoughts his way. The trick was a low blow that probably wouldn't have worked if he'd had some sleep in the last twenty four hours and didn't have the beaten bodies of Lee Thompson and Amelia Chason spinning through his head. With Ray in Vancouver and Olivia on the defensive Oz was supposed to be his ally in all of this.

Oz was barely managing to skate back to the goal he was laughing so much and Toby had to grit his teeth to bite back on his annoyance as he slowly brought the puck back down the rink. Straightening his approach Toby dug his blades in for a couple of strides then hit the puck hard, lifting it off the ice, and skimming it inches passed Oz and into the back of the goal with brutal pace.

"Hey man! What the fu... That was uncool." Oz shot Toby a hard glare as he picked himself off the ice rubbing at his shoulder.

"Sorry." Toby mumbled shame making his cheeks flush. Neither of them were wearing any pads or headgear and if Oz hadn't thrown himself out the way who knew what damage he could have done.

He skated to the wall and leaned against it aware that Oz was following behind. "It was a joke man. I told Sandy that you always wiped the floor with me out here and she thought, well we though it..."

Oz trailed off as he got close and Toby turned his head to look at him a half smile on his face, "funny? It was... it would have been. I'm sorry I'm just a bit..."

"You are always a bit... whatever these days." Oz complained, his anger flaring and Toby shut his eyes and tried to block out the pain - too much emotion too close. "What is it this time, a migraine? Liv? Your latest IIB job?"

"All of the above." Toby whispered into his hands resting his left cheek against his stick.

"Are you going to talk about any of it?" Oz's tone lacked the patience that he'd normally have with his partner and Toby knew he'd been pushing their friendship to the limit recently.

"The headaches aren't that bad, Liv's just worried..."

"Like the rest of us." Toby heard Oz mutter under his breath.

"... and I've been helping the IIB look into that rape vic from the other night. It's turning into a bad one."

At his words Oz seemed to soften and sagged against the wall next to him. "Man I'm glad someone we know is looking into it - that was not good. You're helping?" At Toby's nod Oz continued "You know what I like best about our job? The handovers."

"That's because you get to make eyes at Sandy." Toby muttered head still down.

"You used to think the same 'cause of Liv. But no it's not that, it's because someone else gets to worry about them. How long do we have to stress about our pickups, twenty to thirty minutes, an hour on a bad day? Then we give them over to someone who can help or someone who knows when to quit. You can't save them all you know."

"I'm not trying to Oz." Toby muttered.

"Yes, yes you are and it's not going to work. Do me a favour, come out with me tonight. We'll go to a bar, or a club, just leave the work behind."

"Oz, I can't, I can't get Lee Thompson out my head." Toby looked up briefly to see his partner rolling his eyes at him.

"Fine, then talk to me."

"Trust me Oz you don't want to know, he was tortured, put through hell and through all of it he kept thinking of this stupid eagle." Toby shook his head as though he could shake free from the memory, the eagle was safe ground, the rest of Thompson's thoughts were... were too much to talk about, especially to his best friend.

"An eagle?" Oz asked surprised

Toby turned round to lean against the wall next to his partner, "Yeah when we first saw Thompson he was thinking about a big metal eagle in chains."

Oz looked at him and Toby sensed a shift in his thoughts a sudden interest. "An eagle in chains?" And as he asked the same image that had been in Lee Thompson's mind flashed through his partners.

"You know it?"

"That's from the Bear Paw Bar. You know that right?" Toby looked at his partner blankly, and Oz shook his head. "The Bear Paw? It's a rock, metal bar on Brunswick,"

Oz stood upright suddenly and wobbled a bit, maybe his skating hadn't improved that much. "Right that solves it; we'll go there for a drink tonight, you can see your eagle, ring IIB wonder cop and be a hero."

"Oz..." Toby started aware that really he should ring Michelle now, but it was a long shot and he could tell his partner really wanted to do something to help.

* * *

><p>The bar come rock club on Brunswick wasn't really somewhere either of them would normally go. Toby leaned against the wall in the back while he waited for Oz to get back with their drinks. Coming out had been a big mistake, his headache was worse and the lights, noise and crowd of people wasn't helping much. Massaging his temples he took a couple of deep breaths and put a bit more effort in blocking out the mass of thoughts around him. The resulting silence - well near silence - was both welcome and strangely isolating.<p>

An open bottle appeared under his nose. "So this is the place yeah?"

He took the beer and glanced at the huge metallic eagle that, with its intricate chain work, formed part of the bar. "Yeah Oz this is it."

"Cool so what do we do now?"

'Ring Michelle and go home and get some sleep', he thought grumpily. But Oz was on a roll and with his mind closed off the headache was beginning to ease. "I guess we could ask at around about Thompson. But then we need to ring the IIB"

They'd just turned to head back to the bar when a huge mountain of a man knocked into Toby. The bottle in his hand went flying and he watched as it tumbled - beer spilling as it rotated - and landed with a loud crash. In that millisecond the flash hit him driving into his mind as though his barriers weren't even there. Ray had labelled flashes like this distress beacons but it wasn't distress that crashed through his skull. It was lust and rage and something so sick that his stomach lurched. The images were fast, continuous and bloody - very bloody.

"Toby! Toby!" That was Oz, he thought dimly as he tried to open his eyes.

Even as he realised he was on his knees, several pairs of hand grabbed him and pulled him roughly to his feet. "You're out." A rough voice muttered in his ear.

"Hey, go easy on him man." Oz was somewhere behind them and panicky.

"Are you with him? Then you're out too. Come on."

Toby tried to get his legs cooperate but nothing was working so he let them manhandle him out the bar and into the cool night. Oz was still complaining to the doormen but Toby ignored him concentrating on taking in huge gulps of fresh air.

"Man that was not cool, are you alright? They thought you were drunk but that's no..."

"Oz?" Toby tried to interrupt.

"...reason to grab you like that. What the hell happened anyway? Was it..."

"Oz!" this time his voice sounded like his own and his partner stopped talking. "Oz did you see him?"

He looked round and found Oz frowning at him. "See who?"

"The man who knocked into me? Did you get a good look?"

"Err I guess, why?" Oz looked confused.

"Because it was the guy." Toby stood up properly beginning to feel like himself again - at least if he ignored the fire in his skull.

"The... You mean _the_ guy." Oz glanced between the bar and Toby "Shit what should we do?"

Toby glanced at Oz and then the club as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "We do what we should have done earlier - wake up the police."

* * *

><p>End Part 5<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

* * *

><p>"Oh this is so cool." Oz bounced on his toes and gestured at the images on the big screen, "defiantly thicker hair than that, and longer."<p>

Dev glanced between the two of them and Toby nodded reassuringly "Longer hair." He was sure about the hair even though most of his impressions of the man they were trying to match had come from Oz's mind rather than his own eyes.

Across the IIB offices Toby could see McCluskey on the phone, probably trying to explain why she bullied her way into a bar at midnight and harassed the patrons for no obvious reason. There had been no sign of the man Toby and Oz had seen and she was furious. She probably had every right to be - what was it Dev had warned him when he'd started to work with the IIB? 'Don't be wrong.'

They shouldn't have gone to the club without speaking to her first. It was the sort of boneheaded thing he'd have done before... before he'd got Charlie killed. He really was off his game.

"...Toby. Hey Toby?" Oz's voice broke through his thoughts. "That's him right?"

Toby stared at the face on the screen. He'd only had a quick glimpse but it was a good match. "Yeah that's him."

At Toby's confirmation Dev clicked a few keys and started the program that would run the face through the IIB databases. "Okay I'll tell Michelle we're done here." Dev looked a little nervous at the thought, another testament to how badly they'd messed up.

"Wait Dev." Toby half stood and rubbed at his tired eyes as he thought back to the flashes he'd got from their suspect in the club, "can you do another one of those while that one runs?"

"Eh, yeah, why?"

He sagged slightly and took calming breath. "Because I think there might have been another victim."

* * *

><p>Oz couldn't help with the second one so Toby had to concentrate and focus despite his tiredness. He was halfway through - a thin oval face shaded by wisps of short blond hair - when Michelle came back in, and left again to get coffee Oz in tow.<p>

The caffeine was good and well timed, but working on the features was hard, maybe impossible. Toby tried to imagine them relaxed and at rest instead of the way he saw them in the suspects head; straining, twisted into an agonizing scream.

There was a series of quiet bleeps - results from the other e-fit - and Toby paused mid sentence but Michelle gestured for him to continue. He shook his head looking at the image on the screen - it was similar to the image his head, but rough and vague and he didn't know how to make it right. He sighed softly. "Sorry, that's all I've got. It was quick and she was being... he was cutting her," he finished quietly.

Dev was once again clicking keys, "its okay we can run it through missing persons it should narrow the field a bit at least." He clicked more keys and the screen changed.

"Whoa that's him." Oz's sudden exclamation made everyone one in the room jump, and Toby had to grin; his partner had gone from half asleep to wired in 0.2 seconds. Toby envied him, he was running on empty.

"Who is he?" Michelle was tense and still all business.

"Err." Dev floundered "Stephen Roberts, a local was arrested a few years ago for drink driving, had a couple of DUI's and arrested for domestic violence but never charged..." He tapped a few more keys and then frowned, "are you sure this is the man you saw?"

"Yeah." Oz's tone was definite. "Why?"

"Because he was in a car crash Wednesday night, another DUI."

Oz's eyes lit up. "The same night we picked up Thompson." He glanced at Toby and they both made the same connection. "There was an RTA about half an hour before we saw Thompson, that's got to be the guy."

Dev coughed and glanced between Michelle and Toby shyly, "The problem is according to this Roberts is in a coma at St Luke's and has been since Wednesday night." He glanced at them, "You couldn't have seen him tonight."

"Whoa man that's not possible. That's the man I saw."

Oz was adamant but Michelle turned to Toby and fixed him with an unwavering stare. "That's him? Are you sure?"

For a moment Toby paused and looked between the two of them, they were both expectant, hanging on his words. "No. No I'm not," he admitted, "it's like him but... I didn't really get much of a look."

Oz shot him an angry glare. "Fine then maybe he has a brother or a twin or something."

His partner sounded slightly desperate and Toby felt guilty as Dev shook his head. "The only family listed here is his mother. He's been in prison twice and got a series of convictions for minor offences mainly relating to drinking and minor violence, but nothing that would be consistent with these crimes."

"But..."

Oz's mouth was working and Toby could tell he was convinced about it but he knew it wouldn't matter to McCluskey. She looked between the two of them her expression closed. "Go home boys, I'll call you if anything comes up. In the mean time just..." She paused looking as tired as he felt, "just go home."

* * *

><p>"Thanks man. That's great support. Just great." Oz rounded on him the second they'd been herded out the IIB building by an annoyed Sergeant McCluskey.<p>

Toby spared him a quick glance as he pulled out his phone. "Oz I only told the truth. I didn't see him clearly."

"No of course you didn't you were too busy passing out, or having a stroke or whatever it is you do that leaves me having to sort everything else out."

His partner's words cut, but he tuned out the rant and moved far enough away so that he could hear the woman on the other end of the phone and actually get them a ride home.

By the time it had arrived Oz had started to calm down - slightly - and by the time they pulled up in front of Toby's apartment he'd switched from ranting to the silent treatment. Toby ignored it and got out the cab and waited. "Are you coming or going home to brood?"

That spurred Oz into action and he jumped out the cab objecting. "I don't brood man. How can you say I brood? You brood - you take brooding and moody to a whole new level. I was just expecting some support..."

When they were inside Toby dumped his spare bed linen on the sofa in front of Oz and put an open beer in his hand.

"...Do you even know what support is man? You know like, backing up someone who is too busy playing cop to concentrate on his job, kind of support."

Toby sat across from Oz and sipped his own beer and then leaned forward. "I know what support is man, but I also know what happens if I blow this gig."

Oz stopped his rant and Toby could see - and _see_ - the cogs turning. "Char..."

He raised his hand cutting him off before he could finish the name. "It's not just that but yes if I set the cops or the IIB on the wrong track people get hurt, or killed."

Oz sniffed and rubbed his face, a sure sign that his partner was winding down. "I saw that guy."

"I know you did, but that's not what she asked me man, and I didn't see him. Not well enough." Toby tried to suppress a yawn, it was late - or early - and despite a long rotation on nights his body didn't want to be awake anymore.

Oz also suddenly looked tired as well; he grinned lopsidedly and took a big swig of beer. "I guess it's unlikely that some guy in a coma was out wandering round a bar earlier."

Toby tilted his head and shrugged. "Pretty unlikely. We could always ring Liv and ask for a medical opinion. May be talk about her being fair game while we're at it."

There was a spray of beer and Toby winced as some of it landed on his coffee table and over the book he was currently reading. "You want to ring Olivia at two thirty in the morning and ask her if she has a sleep walking psycho coma patient. Good luck with that."

"Maybe not." Toby shook his head.

Oz took the last drag from his bottle and dumped it on the table. "Okay can we forget I ever said Olivia was fair game, please? And perhaps we could take a look at this Roberts guy ourselves tomorrow - just check he's there -with him being at St Luke's and all."

"Yeah, yeah to both of those partner." Toby said as he stood and cleared away the empty bottles. Oz was tugging the blankets over him and settling back already. "Yeah we'll go and take a look first thing."

As Toby headed to his own bed he heard Oz murmur "I'm still betting on the evil twin thing."

* * *

><p>Part 6<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

* * *

><p>They had maybe four hours sleep before the call from McCluskey woke them. After a detour to Oz's apartment to pick up the Mustang they made their way quickly through the early morning traffic.<p>

On the journey Toby repeatedly pointed out to his partner that he didn't know why they had to go back, Michelle hadn't told him and it would be nice if Oz could be patient. Predictably he wasn't but it didn't matter because as soon as they arrived, and McCluskey had them seated in the meeting room, she turned to his anxious partner. "I have an apology to make Mr Bey."

"You do?" Oz paused for a second and a slight crack of amusement slipped out of Michelle's tense expression. "Yeah you do, okay apologise away."

"Stephen Roberts has a twin broth..."

"YES! I told you!" The words were barely out of her mouth and Oz was on his feet pumping the air like the Canucks had won the Stanley Cup or something.

Michelle glanced at Toby bemused and he just shrugged, when Oz was right - which was more often then a lot of people expected - he tended to enjoy it. And to be fair he deserved the apology over this one, from both of them.

While Oz celebrated Toby took the opportunity to ask the million dollar question. "Last night you said he was an only child."

"We did some digging after you left."

"You did?" Oz sounded more surprised than Toby expected and a quick look into his partners head told Toby that he'd assumed the IIB had completely dismissed his input. Oz railed on about Toby's 'issues' but it turned out he wasn't the only one with insecurities.

"Yes, we did." Michelle was firm. "We spoke to his mother over night. May Roberts gave birth to two boys at her home near Port Perry in 1972, she confessed to leaving her first born Paul outside a church in Claremont at the age of five."

"Wow so our psycho guy was abandoned, no wonder he's a nut job that's got to screw... " Toby coughed loudly and an Oz had the grace to look embarrassed, "...or it could be some other reason of course. I'm not saying every abandoned kid turns out..."

Michelle held up her hand and Oz to his credit shut up instantly. Then she pulled out two photos and pushed then across the table at them.

Toby was dimly aware that she was asking Oz about one of the photos but his eyes were drawn to the other one. A young blond woman with confident green eyes shining out from a perfectly made up face. It gave shape and focus to the blurred tortured face he'd seen the night before and he felt sick. In the photo she had pale pink lipstick and soft eye shadow but seeing her face so clearly only heightened his memory of the _read_ of her yesterday.

A report was pushed into his line of sight and Toby realized that the people in the room were focused on his response. It was brief missing person's report; the photo in the corner a good match for the e-fit Toby had done the night before and a near perfect match for the image in his head and the photo in front of him. "That's her."

Michelle leaned into him her tone deadly serious. "Are you sure you _saw_ this girl being tortured?"

Toby was surprised by her intensity and concentrated hard on remembering every aspect of last nights intense read, "Yes. I'm sure. It was fast and not so sharp, but that's her."

Michelle's gaze didn't wavier from him. "Not so sharp, perhaps a fantasy. Something he wanted to happen?"

"Maybe but I can't ..." Toby sighed knowing it was impossible to explain it to someone else. "When it's not something extreme, way off the norm, then, no I haven't found a way to tell the difference. Why?"

"Because Rachel Newcombe, Governor Richard Newcombe's daughter went missing from the Bear Paw club last night, about the same time a couple of Paramedics were getting kicked out.

Oz stood up again and whistled with surprised as Michelle fixed Toby with a long solid glare. He didn't need to concentrate to read every thought in her head. They were all tired, they'd screwed up, and a political cluster bomb was about to explode on their heads. She wanted to know he was up for it.

He nodded once sharply. "That was her." Oz and Michelle were quiet now but Toby could do nothing more than shake his head. "So he picked her up after we left?"

Michelle looked at him again. "That's what we're thinking, and the mother and you pair are our only leads."

* * *

><p>With four people in it, the observation room was more crowded than usual - even more so as Oz's presence tended to fill up any room. For a moment he let his eyes drift shut and took time to turn his focus away from the familiar minds to the stranger in the room beyond the glass. He was tired and the effort caused his temples to throb.<p>

"Are you alright?" Michelle's voice sounded over his shoulder and, back still turned, he nodded in reply.

"Yeah, go on get in there."

He opened his eyes again as Michelle left the room, wishing she'd taken Dev and Oz with her. Then the door to the interview room opened and May Roberts jumped in her seat, her thoughts and emotions flaring and pulling him in. For a millisecond a painful white hot flash spiked through his mind then, as quickly as it came it faded, everything settled back to normal and he could see her thoughts like they were his own.

"She knew." He whispered it into the small microphone clipped to his shirt.

In front of him, through the glass, Michelle turned a slow circle before sitting across from the woman and Toby caught her raised eyebrow. _Be specific._

Taking a couple of deep breaths he composed himself, "Her son Paul," - _little Pauly who was so much quieter than his brother. Pauly who was the only one there when the collie puppy was killed_ - "she knew that he was here in Toronto and she knows what he's capable of."

Toby stared through the glass intently as Michelle confronted the woman with the information he'd passed. May Roberts lit up with shaking hands and took a long drag of cigarette smoke, but Toby could tell that despite the outward signs of nervousness she was relieved - it was finally in the open.

As she opened up to McCluskey Toby got the story in flashes: Two small boys playing in a yard; the growing frustration as little Paul became angry and sullen; the sight of her son wandering home, streaks blood that wasn't his marking his face.

May Roberts' mind was like an open book to him and he didn't think he could block her out even if he tried so he rolled with it despite the intensity. Watching in flashes as a young mother at the end of her tether decided to give up one son to hopefully save the other.

* * *

><p>The whole interview only took an hour, the facts were straight forward May Roberts had done everything she could to protect the son she'd chosen to keep from the one she'd given up - and failed - but she knew nothing that could help them now. She suspected Paul had found Stephen but didn't know when or how, and she had no idea of the horrific things they were really up to.<p>

As Michelle guided the woman out of the interview room Toby turned and perched on the edge of the table behind him rolling his head and neck in the vain hope the pain he felt there was just stiffness.

"Man that was way cool."

Toby had forgotten about the presence of his partner and the ever quiet Dev but he could help crack a grin at the way Dev was trying to protect his laptop and gadgets from Oz's enthusiastic interest.

"Yeah that was cool." Toby agreed smiling tiredly as the door opened.

Michelle's solemn expression sobered them all up. "I don't suppose you got anything else?" She asked as she came back into the small room.

"No." He replied flatly. "She knew they'd hooked up together sometime last year but she doesn't have contact with either of them or know what they were doing."

"Damn." Michelle was reserved in her frustration.

"What now?"

"Well no one seems to know anything about Paul Roberts even his own mother. I've search all our databases and he's completely off the radar." Dev sounded as deflated as the rest of them.

"So the other brother's the weak link." Three sets of eyes turned and looked at Oz like he'd just grown a second head, and Toby watched as his partner fumbled for a moment. "I mean... We are assuming Stephen's in on it right? That Lee Thompson was with him during the crash Wednesday night?"

McCluskey nodded. "At the moment it's the most likely scenario."

"Well... Paul Roberts is a puppy killing a psycho right? An 'off your radar' Dexter style psycho, but his brother crashed his car with a torture victim in it," Oz gestured and seemed to hit his stride. "You read us his rap sheet last night, the guy's a drunken, wife beating idiot."

"Who's in a coma..." Dev added flatly and then stopped, frowned, and along with the other two people in the room, jerked his head round to stare at Toby.

Michelle was looking at him intently, "You've done it before."

Toby flung his hands in the air in mock surrender "I can't read what's not there, if the guy's brain dead or too deep..." He trailed off and shrugged they all knew to some extent what he was and wasn't capable of.

She nodded, "Okay My Bey is right, Stephen Roberts messed up Wednesday night, it's not going to have been the only time. Dev I want you to dig into past I want to know every move he's made and dollar he's spent in the last year and a half. See if you can work out when his brother contacted him and what he's been doing since. I'm going to take a team through his house and belongings. Toby I know it's a long shot and lot to ask but..."

"I'll see what I can get but no promises."

"What should I do?" At Oz's question Toby immediately thought - go home - but it was unfair. Oz had already done more than his share and Toby's head was pounding, he didn't fancy risking his bike in this state. He rubbed his neck and sighed only partially for effect "I could use a driver and a wing man."

Oz grinned and nodded. "On it man."

As they all filed out the interview suite Michelle caught Toby's eye and grinned at him. _Maybe I should have hired the whole team after all._

* * *

><p>End Part 7<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

* * *

><p>The drive to the hospital was better than Toby expected. Oz, though buzzing seemed to pick on Toby's growing tiredness and put all his effort into getting them quickly and cleanly through the traffic. They made good time and it was easy for a couple of well known paramedics - one of which spent far too much time with cops - to find Roberts and get into his room with no questions asked.<p>

It was only when they were in, with Oz hanging by the door that Toby felt his gut clench with dread. These days' having other people's thoughts in his head was as natural to him as breathing. Doing the interviews and busts with IIB was an adrenalin rush and an ego boost, but there were still some situations that were too intense or bordered on the unpleasant, and some that felt like a violation.

Now looking at Stephen Roberts with the array of monitors wires and the ET tube Toby felt uncomfortable with what he was about to do. Half a second through the door and Toby could confirm that the doctors were right the man wasn't brain dead, there was nothing concrete, no solid thoughts, for Toby to grasp but there wasn't the void he'd felt in patients with little or no brain activity.

For a few moments he stood close to the bed and watched the vent at work - the noise of the machine and the rise and fall of the unconscious mans chest.

"Anything?"

Toby hadn't forgotten Oz but he'd somehow faded into the background, he shook his head and whispered quietly, "Nothing... nothing concrete, but he's there."

"He's not fried then." Oz said as he peered over the man in the bed.

Despite his partners proximity and noise there was no reaction from the man. Toby sighed, "He's not fried but he's..." he shrugged, "there something there but I don't know what."

"So how does this work?" Oz had toned down slightly and was looking at Toby intently.

It was a good question, Toby didn't really know, the only semblance of thoughts he could recognise were sparse and blurry. He took a few minutes to really concentrate on them but the images were disjointed and slipped from his grasp before he could make sense of them. After a long minute he took a step back and turned to Oz. "I guess it doesn't."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. Well there's something there but it's not like we can interview him, prompt him to think about torturing people with his brother." He replied frustration creeping into his voice.

"Why not?" Oz said, "We're always being told that coma patients can hear stuff."

Toby frowned his partner was right, it had worked before. Taking a deep breath he moved forward again and leaned over till his mouth was level with the Stephen Roberts ear. "I know. I know that Pauly came back for you. I know what you did together," he whispered his eyes watching the expressionless features closely. There wasn't a flicker of anything on the man's face but there was a definite reaction his thoughts.

Looking briefly across at Oz Toby leaned in again. "Come on show me what Pauly showed you."

_They were driving past a fenced grass pasture. Then they were boys, playing with little collie dog. Then they were with Lee Thompson, enjoying him. 'Bring him to the farm little bro'. _

Images flashes through Toby's mind building in speed and intensity until they like a steam train tearing through his head.

The next thing he knew he was bent over in the corridor - hands braced on his thighs - as he dragged in huge gulping breaths.

"Are you okay now?" Oz was leaning over him a hand on his shoulder to keep him on his feet.

Toby let his partner pull him upright. "What happened?"

"You don't remember? You bugged out, nearly passed out and then told me to get you out of there. You really don't remember?" Oz sounded worried and was looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Shit."

"Yeah."

Toby looked around and took a couple of steps back towards Roberts' room. He half expected to see chaos, monitors going wild, maybe a crash team working away, but there was nothing. Stephen Roberts lay exactly where he had when they first entered the room, as still and as unconscious as before.

Toby turned away quickly and backed off putting even more distance between himself and the comatose man as he pulled out his phone.

Michelle answered on the second ring with a terse "Anything?"

Toby didn't need to read her mind to know things weren't going well that end. "I'm not sure. There's a small farm or property somewhere east of Toronto, I saw a sign for a golf course off a Lake Ridge Road. It's somewhere from their childhood, that's where Stephen was taking Thompson Wednesday night before he crashed."

"That would make sense we're at Stephens flat now, they had someone here for a bit. How sure are you on the location?"

"I'm not, his thoughts weren't really clear, but this place felt important to them, it was somewhere he and his bother spent time before they were split up."

"Okay I'll talk to the mother again and get Dev to look into it. Stay close to your phone in case I need you."

"I thought we, Oz and I, could drive out see if we could find anything familiar." Toby winced slightly as he spoke, aware that after last night he shouldn't even be suggesting it.

There was a long pause on the other end then Michelle replied abruptly, "Okay, but you find anything you sit tight and call it in," and hung up.

Oz looked at him "What'd she say?"

Toby pocketed his phone and took one more look at Stephen Roberts. "Have you got time for a long drive out east?"

"She went for that? After last night?"

Oz sounded surprised but Toby just shrugged, "There's a missing girl now."

* * *

><p>They sat in silence while they made it out of the city, and Toby sagged heavily in his seat. He still didn't think the mustang suited his partner - and he missed the pumpkin - but it was a hell of a lot more comfortable. He rested for a while letting the chaos in his head calm down. But as the houses thinned out and they turned on to the rural roads Toby could feel Oz making frequent little glancing across at him, "What?" he asked tiredly though even without taking a peek in Oz's head he suspected he already knew what it was about.<p>

Oz stroked his chin glancing across and Toby met his eyes briefly. "What was that at the hospital man? That's the second time you've freaked out on me in less than 24 hours man."

"I don't know."

"You don't know? That's it, you don't know?" Oz's voice rose about 3 octaves a sure sign he wasn't happy.

"What?" Toby asked curtly.

It took a moment for Oz to reply and when he did he was as serious as Toby had ever heard him, "I thought we were through all this Toby. You said you had it under control."

"I do."

"Well that didn't look under control to me. I've been letting you drive the rig; have we been one _read_ away from a pile up? If..."

"Oz." Toby held up his hand. "It's not like the hits. It's not something that's going to happen driving around at work. I promise." At Oz's dubious look Toby leaned back in his seat and considered how to put into words. "It's like... like trying to see in a dark room you let your eyes adjust and focus really hard and then someone switches the lights on."

"Or shines a torch in your face when you are wearing night vision goggles." Oz added as a couple of scenes from some action movie flashed through his mind.

Toby looked out the window wondering just how much he should tell his partner - more than he had been was the obvious answer. "Everyone is different. Some people are hard to read, others - like the Roberts twins - are too easy, and their thoughts are _loud_. Less like a torch more like a super bright halogen lamp."

"A big psychotic halogen lamp." Oz laughed nodded in understanding - though Toby doubted he could ever really understand. "So it's not going to happen when you are driving?"

"I tend to concentrate on driving when I'm driving Oz. Unlike some people." He added under his breath.

"I heard that." Oz fell silent and concentrated on driving for a bit and Toby could tell he was happy with the explanation. He was glad one of them was because he wasn't convinced that that was all that was going on. The growing intensity of some of his reads, and the level and shear persistence of the pain was starting to feel like something less normal and more serious. It wasn't a fear he was going to share with Oz so he turned away focusing his gaze on the fence line out of the car window. The scenery was starting to look familiar.

They were silent for the next few miles then Oz turned to him. "You know they should put out one of those public service things. Like with the mobile phones. Don't _read_ and drive."

Toby was going to respond but at that point the fence line changed as though between two property lines and he pulled himself up leaning forward in his seat. Oz noticed the movement and slowed the car. "Something?"

"Not like that, but this fence..." Toby trailed off as Oz half sighed and half laughed.

"Is like half the fences in there area. Do you actually know where we're going?"

Toby's answer was interrupted by his phone it was McCluskey. He listened for a moment and then relayed the information to Oz. "They've found deeds to a property near Kinsdale?" Oz's eye's widened and he pointed behind them. Toby nodded and then speaking back into his phone he added, "I don't think we are far from there. We'll wait."

As he hung up Oz was punching numbers into his GPS. "We're about four miles away, we could..."

Toby shook his head. "I said we'd wait."

Oz drove them back the way they had come till they reached a suitable side road then he pulled off and cut the engine. He sat back for about three minutes before leaning forward and drumming the steering well. "Well this is exciting."

"You don't have to stay Oz, drop me out and..."

"Oh no buddy. I know this staying in the car thing is just because I'm here. I let you out by yourself and you'll be heading there by yourself before you can say brutally murdered."

* * *

><p>It was an hour before the short but steady stream of cars started to come down the road towards them. There were local cop cars and the IIB unmarked but blatantly government cars. The third unmarked car stopped to check them out and the fourth - the one with Michelle and Dev in waved them on.<p>

As Oz gunned the engine and followed the convoy of vehicles Toby's phone bleeped. "Park back & stay in car." He read aloud to his partner.

As Oz pulled up a mix of armed IIB cops, black clad swat men and local LEO's jumped out the other cars and headed out in a practised pattern. They both watched for a while and then Oz rolled his head towards him. "We really are staying in the car?"

Toby glared at his partner. "Yeah Oz we're staying in the car."

"I don't believe it you." Oz stated plainly and to be honest he was right, if Oz hadn't been there then there was a good chance Toby would have lost his patience by now and moved to somewhere he'd be able to _hear_ what was going on.

He was about to deny it again when the crack of gun fire sounded from across the property. "Shit." Oz exclaimed as they both leaped out the mustang and took shelter round the back of it. "Shit man I've only just brought this." Oz patted the rear bumper of his car as they ducked behind it.

Toby ignored him and started to move forward at a crouch through the group of parked police vehicles. He was dimly aware of his partners shouted objection, and that the Oz was following close behind, but he was more aware of the heightened emotions and thoughts of the people in front of him.

He rounded the side of the front car just in time to see one of the officers, a local by the looks of his uniform, crouching at the side of an old barn try to cross the gap to the main building. He didn't make it. Oz was just behind him and his partner swore again as they watched as the man's head jerked back in puff of red mist before he dropped to the ground.

Adrenalin spiked and Toby glanced at his partner. "You got a kit in your car?"

Oz grunted a yes and a firm "wait here," and then he was gone. Toby waited - for all of three heartbeats - and then he was running, half crouched, across the open space to the fallen cop. As he skidded in on his knees more shots rang out but they seemed to come from further away - or that would be his story if anyone questioned his sanity later on.

Heart pounding in his chest he knelt over the stricken officer, took a close look at the wound and sighed in semi-relief. Instead of the gaping wound, skull fragments, and brain matter he'd expected there was a long furrow from temple to ear on the left side of the man's head. It was deep and nasty, the skull exposed in places, but it was survivable. Toby'd barely done more than quick inspection before Oz dumped a large first aid kit next to him. They pulled out sterile dressings - not the right type or size - and dressed the wound. Then with Toby securing the c-spine, they gently straightened out his limbs and rolled the man onto his back.

"Jesus Chr..." Toby looked up to see Dev looking down at them, a little pale as his eyes landed on the bloody scene in front of him. He recovered quickly and gestured to the door he'd come through "We need a medic in here."

The shooting seemed to have stopped and Toby glanced at the dressings under his bloody hands. Oz reached over and looked at him seriously. "Go on partner I've got this."

But Toby shook his head, and shot his partner a dark look, hands refusing to yield the gentle but firm pressure on the injured mans skull. "Big psychotic halogen lamp," he muttered. He was unwilling to get near Paul Roberts again unless he absolutely had to.

Oz grabbed his badly stocked first aid kit and followed Dev back into the farm house. Toby watched them go for a moment resisting the urge to watch them mentally to find out what was happening. It was only when he heard the first wail of the sirens, and saw the ambulances turning in, that he reached out with his senses, checking on the people inside. The results were quick and conclusive; if Paul Roberts was in that building he was no longer alive.

* * *

><p>End Part 8.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: This is it, hoped you enjoyed it. I had fun playing with it.

AN2: A bit of background. This story was written in response to Olivia's comments in about Toby's symptoms in 2x12. I felt a bit cheated that all we'd seen up to that point was one migraine. This is my take on how we got from one migraine to white-outs and flashes.

Epilogue.

* * *

><p>It was hard not to flinch when someone was shinning a light directly in your eyes but Toby took deep breath and tried to relax, let Olivia do her thing.<p>

"So?" he asked as a few minutes later as she flicked the light off and tucked it in her pocket.

She smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder gently. "Your BP is a little high, at least for you, but apart from that everything looks good."

Toby shifted his position, perched on the edge of her desk. "I told you so. It was nothing a few hours of sleep couldn't fix."

"You maybe okay now but we can't ignore this anymore." Liv's tone and body language screamed worry and concern, and it made him uncomfortable because he wanted this all to be just a headache.

He tried to stand but the hand on his shoulder tightened pinning him in place. "I'd like to get a CT and maybe an MRI."

The thought made his gut churn. He knew it was irrational but getting a scan would make it more real, more serious. "Liv..."

"No Toby we're working blind here. I need more information if I'm going to help you."

This time when he tried to stand she let him and he could sense her frustration as he pulled away, doing up the buttons on the front of his uniform. "I've got my shift and then..."

"I didn't mean now, though it would be good to get a baseline. But next time you get symptoms come to me straight away, we need to figure this out Toby."

He nodded and flashed his best smile. "Thanks Liv. I will, I promise." In the past there might have been a kiss, now even the light brush of his hand on her arm felt too intimate. She smiled sadly back at him as he left her office.

* * *

><p>He found his partner in the ED chatting to some nurses. Oz wasn't being shy in sharing his role in the raid that lead to Paul Roberts's fatal shooting and the release of Governor Newcombe's daughter. Toby leaned against the nurses' station watching him relay the events of the last few days.<p>

"He's a bit excitable isn't he?"

Toby smiled as Michelle leaned next to him smiling. He acknowledged her with a nod. "How's Officer Murray?" Toby asked because it was polite, but after two days of total down time he was feeling completely refreshed and was reading her was like an opening book.

"He's doing okay. They're going to let him wake up today, the Doctors are hopeful there'll be no long term damage. And Rachel Newcombe was released yesterday."

"That's good. I have say thank you."

She frowned at him. "For what?"

"For taking this on."

Michelle shook her head at him. "That's my job. We just stopped a serial killer; it doesn't get better than that."

He raised an eyebrow, "better than embezzlement."

She laughed lightly because it was a laughing matter now. "Indeed. But I can pay you for the embezzlement; I can't pay you for this one, and I can't pay him at all." She nodded at Oz.

Toby looked across at his partner who was gesticulating wildly to his growing audience of nurses. They all seemed captivated, and off to one side Sandy Wardle was looking ever so slightly protective. Toby found himself grinning. "Trust me he's already reaping the benefits."

"I hear the Governor has recommended him for a commendation."

Toby snorted, "Yeah, it's his second this year. I think my boss might actually have a nervous break down." He laughed at the thought, aware his tone might be slightly too affectionate.

Michelle must have picked up on it as she stood upright and glared at him "I really didn't want to hire a team you know."

Oz was winding down the story and Toby shook his head as his partner glanced across and gave them both the thumbs up. "It's one of those two for one deals I'm afraid."

He felt rather than saw Michelle raise her eyebrows, and she patted him on the shoulder as she walked away. "Fair enough, but how about we keep the team plays down to a minimum from now on."

* * *

><p>End.<p> 


End file.
